Event set for Saturday at Daejeon e-Sports Stadium; cities aim to deepen ties through next generation
Daejeon and China's Jinan have organized an event to help young people from both cities build friendships and deepen mutual cultural understanding through baduk, the ancient board game.
Daejeon announced Tuesday that it will hold a "Daejeon-Jinan Youth Online Baduk Exchange" on Saturday at Dream Arena, the city's e-sports stadium, to mark the 15th anniversary of its friendship and cooperation agreement with Jinan.
About 30 elementary and middle school students from the two cities will take part. Participants will connect online from their respective venues to compete in team baduk matches, followed by remarks from participants and an awards ceremony.
The online youth baduk exchange extends the two cities' longstanding cooperation into a youth-centered format. Officials hope the event will carry the friendship between the two cities forward to the next generation.
Daejeon and Jinan signed their friendship and cooperation agreement in 2011 and have since maintained exchanges across a range of areas, including youth soccer tournaments, policy training programs and cultural exchanges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the two cities also supported each other by sharing epidemic-prevention supplies.
Daejeon said it plans to build on the baduk exchange by expanding youth-focused programs and developing initiatives that allow young people from both cities to learn about each other's cultures and daily lives.
Daejeon also plans to hold a basketball and cultural exchange event in October to mark the 20th anniversary of its friendship agreement with the Chinese city of Wuhan. The city will invite a delegation of amateur basketball players from Wuhan for friendly matches and a tour of Daejeon's cultural sites.
"On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of our friendship agreement with Jinan, I hope this will be a meaningful time for young people to connect naturally and understand each other through their shared interest in baduk," said Park Ji-ho, Daejeon's director of international affairs. "We will continue to broaden the scope of international exchange, with a focus on the next generation — youth and young adults alike."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
